Introduction
Rashidah Z. Hakeem (rzhakeem@mecca.mecca.org)
Thu, 20 Mar 1997 01:19:50 -0600 (CST)
My name is Rashidah Hakeem and I work at LeMoyne-Owen College, an urban=20
campus in Memphis, TN located across the street from LeMoyne Gardens=20
Public Housing Project. I am the curriculum developer and teacher for=20
the MECCA Educational Initiative which sponsors a program at the college =
=20
of computer literacy with internet access to adult and children =20
residents of this housing project. Students are recruited through a=20
number of social service agencies and community organizations that also=20
provide a variety of services to LeMoyne Gardens residents. =20
The project was initiated in April , 1995 with ten computers and one=20
staff person. The classroom is a shared academic computing lab with a=20
movable partition which is closed during MECCA sessions. =20
I rely almost totally on internet resources.for professional=20
self-development; for collaboration and communication in reference to=20
technological and instructional expertise. =20
I have seen that professional development is necessarily a daily=20
pursuit because of the constant changes in technological capability where=
=20
last year=D5s and sometimes last month=D5s information or software is alrea=
dy=20
outdated.
I have seen that professional development wasNOT written into the=20
original conception of our program probably because no one could forsee=20
the magnitude of the effect that the constantly advancing technology=20
would have. Fortunately, the nature of the internet as an information=20
tool that is being constantly updated fosters personal growth and=20
development in proportion to the expertise and understanding one brings.
***************************************************************************=
*****
Rashidah Z. Hakeem, M L S=09=09=09=09rzhakeem@mecca.mecca.org
=09=09=09 =09M E C C A
(Memphis Educational Computer Connectivity Alliance) http://www.mecca.org
org/
LeMoyne-Owen College voice: (901) 942-6227=09 fax: (901) 942-6272
***************************************************************************=
*****